Ahead of Summit of the Future, over 160 groups call on UN to create a Parliamentary Assembly

Ahead of the UN’s Summit of the Future in New York on 22-23 September 2024, a diverse group of 160 civil society organizations from across the world called on UN member states in a joint open letter to support “specific measures” to make “global governance more inclusive and accountable.” The document refers to commitments made in the past and notes that to date, “few tangible steps have been taken”.

The letter advocates four proposals aimed at enhancing public participation which were considered at the UN Civil Society conference in May in Nairobi. They are also endorsed in a “People’s Pact” drafted over two years under the auspices of the civil society network Coalition for the UN We Need.

One of the "priority measures" called for in this field is the formation of a UN Parliamentary Assembly. The letter suggests that this assembly would comprise members from national parliaments or directly elected representatives, enabling them to participate in UN activities and serve as a diverse, representative oversight body. 

The open letter was initiated by Democracy Without Borders, Democracy International and Iswe Foundation. Groups that endorsed it include Accountability Lab; Asia Democracy Network; Asia Development Alliance; Coalition for the UN We Need; Foundation of Peace; Global Governance Innovation Network; Greenpeace; Plataforma CIPÓ; Resilient 40, an African youth network on climate action; Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development; Southern Voice; United Nations Association-UK; World Federalist Movement–Institute for Global Policy; or Young European Federalists.